Roberto Di Matteo: Pep Guardiola casts no shadow

Roberto Di Matteo gets the bumps after lifting the FA Cup with Chelsea

I’m just very happy to be here. It is a fantastic club to be working with

Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo

Chelsea handed their caretaker manager a full-time contract this summer – but only after failing to land former Barcelona boss Guardiola.

However, Di Matteo claims he does not feel like their second choice – and has warned Blues fans to expect more of the same from him next season.

Chelsea won the Champions League by parking the bus against Barcelona and then again in the final against Bayern Munich.

But despite owner Roman Abramovich pursuing Guardiola precisely because he wants to see sexier football at

Stamford Bridge, Di Matteo is not about to change tack.

The Italian coach said: “I don’t feel any shadow above or behind me.

“There has been speculation from day one and I have lived with it.

“I always said that I was going to accept and respect any decision, and that’s the way it’s been handled.

“I’m just very happy to be here. It is a fantastic club to be working with.

“We would all like to play like Barcelona, but there isn’t another team who plays like them in the world.

“The important thing is that we play well and challenge in every game with the players we have available.”

Chelsea have already signed Eden Hazard and are also in the market for Porto’s Brazilian striker Hulk.

But Di Matteo insists he is not under orders to produce style as well as substance next season after finally landing a two-year deal to boss the Blues.

He also fiercely defended the reputation of his side, and said: “You call us negative, but our team has always been a technical team.

“We had Juan Mata last year, so it wasn’t as if we had no technical players. I don’t think there’ll be a big overhaul into how we approach the games.

“If you judge our work on three games out of the 21 I was involved in last season, you forget all the other games – the 4-2 against Napoli, the 5-1 against Tottenham and all the other games where the team expressed their offensive potential.

“On average we scored two goals every game.

“My teams usually create chances and score goals, so it’s a bit unjustified to just focus on three games and give us a tag like that.

“We had some players out in the final against Bayern and I’ve not seen any other team play expansively against Barcelona. It’s not fair to give us that label based on three games.”

The former West Brom boss admits he will be under more pressure than he has ever known following his triumphs in the Champions League and FA Cup.

But he said: “Pressure will always be there at this club and you’re judged on results.

“I am looking forward to working with this group of players and hopefully we’ll be able to bring more success to this club.

“I have to say, last season wasn’t exactly easy.

“Having won the European title might bring some expectations, yes, but I think it’s a club that has always had expectations. That’s nothing new for our players.

“The players achieved what they did last season.

“Their desire to improve themselves and win trophies was immense, which is what drives me and the team forward.

“We depend on the players and we have a great group here. The pressure is always there.

“The end of last season was fantastic for the club, for the team as well.

“We have the quality and the players to compete again and be in the frame for all our targets.”

For now, Di Matteo will prepare his side for their forthcoming tour of the USA without Olympic hopefuls Mata, Oriol Romeu and meningitis victim Daniel Sturridge.

He will use the tour to take a closer look at new singings Hazard, Marko Marin and Kevin de Bruyne.

But reserve keeper Thibault Courtois will be sent out on loan again.

Di Matteo said: “Hazard is a wonderful player. He is only 21 but he is a very exciting player. Marin, too, is a very offensive winger or attacking midfielder.

“Will we sign other players? We will see. I’m not going to discuss our targets. Every time you do that the price goes up!

“I am pretty happy with the team. But we will monitor the market and if there is any other good opportunities to increase the quality and we’re able to do it, we will move.”